Call a Veterinarian if Your Pet Brings Home a Dead Animal

Let’s say you are going back outside to play with your pet or take them on a walk or run. You step outside and see a dead animal lying in your yard right by your pet. Do not get mad at your pet, as showing off their dead animals to you is only in their nature. If you see part of it is gone, assume that your pet ate it, as it is better to play it safer than sorry. What you should think about doing next is calling your local veterinarian. While there is no need to be alarmed at this point, keep in mind that dead animals can have all sorts of diseases. Keep reading as we dive into why you should call a vet if your pet brings home a dead animal.

Rabies

One of the biggest and most obvious concerns about dead animals is rabies. Rabies is quite common in many different mammals and rodents. You have no way of knowing if your pet got into a fight and killed the animal, which means that they could have been exposed to it through bites or saliva. Though many types of pets commonly get the rabies vaccine, it can never hurt to call your local vet and get a second opinion.

Poison

Many different rodents and pest animals are killed using poison. While it might seem cruel to some people, such things are common occurrences in everyday life. If your pet brings home a dead animal, always assume that it could have been killed with poison. Your pet chewing on or coming into contact with the poison in the dead animal’s body would seriously harm them, if not kill them. The animals to be most concerned about being killed by poison are, as you could have guessed, rats and mice. It would be wise to call a vet if you think that the dead animal could have come into contact with poison.

Diseases

Animals carry all kinds of diseases when they are alive. Think about how many diseases they will be carrying once they have been decaying for a while. All kinds of insects and disease-ridden pests have potentially been eating away at the dead animal for a while and putting their disease and germs on it. Bacteria will be all over the deceased animal, but that does not necessarily mean that all the bacteria are deadly. Most bacteria won’t hurt your pet, but there is always a chance a dangerous bacterium could be present. It never hurts to call your vet and see if they think your pet needs to be checked out.

Next step?

When you decide to call your local veterinarian, make sure to include as many details as you can about the dead animal. During your call, he or she probably gave you the most universal instructions. Keep an eye on your pet. Make sure they do not show any signs of sickness. Key symptoms to look for are vomiting, diarrhea, lack of energy, and loss of appetite. If you observe any of these symptoms, call your vet immediately. If you don’t see any signs after a few days, that’s very good news.